Current events22 October, 2009 - Carter Dorsett

Taliban Finances

The Taliban’s financial network consists of:

Drug trade

Kidnappings

Extortion

Foreign donations

The Taliban raises hundreds of millions of dollars

http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/images/set3/taliban%20fighters.jpg

Taliban Finances

Elaborate taxation system which taxes:

Opium cultivation

Opium processing

Opium shipment

Other crops grown

The Taliban makes from 70 million to 400 million a year just on illegal drug trade

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46304000/gif/_46304402_afghan_opium_2009_466.gif

Taliban FinancesU.S. is not able to destroy the opium trade because many Afghani farmers depend on it’s profit for survival

Taliban operations are inexpensive so the Taliban does not need very much income

Attempting to dry up Taliban funds is worthless

http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/data/upimages/opium_graph_afghanistan.gif

Taliban FinancesForeign donations are a large part of Taliban funding

Some expected to come from Pakistani Intelligence

Pakistan supports the Taliban because if they gain control of Afghanistan then Afghanistan and Pakistan would be friendly

Saudis and other Arabs are a large part of the funding

http://southeastasianews.org/images/taliban3433.jpg

Pakistan Attacks

The Pakistani Military is bombing the heart of Taliban territory - South Waziristan

The area is highly mined with many homemade bombs

Pakistan is fighting in the Taliban’s home turf - mountains

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/10/19/world/19pstan_CA0.map.ready.html

Pakistan AttacksThey use F-16 bombers and gunships

The U.S. has provided thermal imaging for the F-16s

This was supposed to be a secret because most of the population of Pakistan is very anti-American

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-16c-19990601-f-0073c-005.jpg

Ancient Queen

The Neus Museum has been reopened

It was destroyed in WWII

It’s most important piece was the 3,500 year old bust of Queen Nefertiti

http://z.about.com/d/ancienthistory/1/0/i/_/2/Nefertiti.jpg

Ancient Queen

Egypt is demanding Germany to return it

It has been in Germany since 1913

Zahi Hawass has accused Germany of stealing it

http://clippednews.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/queen_nefertiti.jpg

Ancient QueenZahi Hawass is the general secretary of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities

Farouk Hosny lost the job as the new director of the United Nations culture agency, Unesco, based in Paris

Hawass accused France of stealing art after Hosny lost

http://sacred-shopping.com/dr_zahi_hawass.jpg

Political Cartoons

Issue: American troops have had a difficult time in Iraq and Obama is now sending them to Afghanistan

Point of view: Critical of Obama for not only asking too much of the troops but making them serve extra tours.

Political Cartoons

Issue: The U.S. is turning a blind eye to the drugs in Afghanistan

Point of View: Critical of the U.S. for ignoring the drugs